Dubai: With the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon’s course records getting shattered in both men’s and women’s race, plans are on right away to break the world record next year.
Ahmad Al Kamali, general coordinator of Dubai Marathon and the president of the UAE Athletics Federation, said: “We need to bring more Kenyans now because they are crazy about the world record. They don’t care about stopping after 30km. This is the trick needed to break the world record. If we look at the history of Berlin Marathon, three times the record has been broken by Kenyans and not Ethiopians. So we are considering to bring more Kenyans for the next race but we are absolutely on the track to break the world record.”
Kamali feels that in this year’s race everything happened except the world record. “The world record was under threat till 28 to 29 kilometres. At that stage the runners did not follow the pace maker. Though they were running for the fastest time in the last four kilometres, the runners, I think, started to think of the financial reward from winning this race. So they decided to forget about the timing. They wanted to ensure they completed the race as there are chances of them collapsing in a bid to get to the world record.”
Kamali feels that they opted for the safe way out. “They seem to have decided it is better to finish first or second rather than not complete the race at all by going for the world record,” added Kamali, who feels: “Still it was a good race as never before has it happened after Paula Radcliffe’s world record of 02:15:25 that four women athletes finished the race under 2:20.”
Kamali feels that the news of this year’s marathon has created a huge impact around the world. “I’m sure today’s news is going to be big around the world. We are clearly No. 2 after Berlin and in the women we are clearly the best.”
Kamali said the performance of some of the runners will lift the event’s image. “A lot of new boys and girls will find their market value jump up. The world will be looking at them and their price will go up. Dubai has proved that it is a good platform for everyone.
Kamali also added that Dubai Marathon has also grown as a social event. “It’s a social event and people like it. To stop the traffic in Dubai for seven hours requires a lot of effort from the Road Transport Authority (RTA) and Police. They have done a fantastic job.”
